Under the Volcano (1984)

75% of critics liked it
(16 reviews)
69% of users liked it
(1,653 ratings)

A strange, hallucinatory adaptation of the Malcolm Lowry novel of the same name, John Huston's bleak drama is set during the Mexican "Day of the Dead" ceremony in 1939. Albert Finney stars as Geoffrey Firmin, the booze-besotted former British consul to Cuernevarca, who has cut himself off from his… More A strange, hallucinatory adaptation of the Malcolm Lowry novel of the same name, John Huston's bleak drama is set during the Mexican "Day of the Dead" ceremony in 1939. Albert Finney stars as Geoffrey Firmin, the booze-besotted former British consul to Cuernevarca, who has cut himself off from his loved ones, the better to drink himself to death while surrounded by all manner of skull-and-skeleton decorations. At the urging of his wife Yvonne (Jacqueline Bisset), his half-brother Hugh (Anthony Andrews) goes on a "heart of darkness" search for his missing sibling. Novelist Lowry was himself a suicidal alcoholic, who poured every drop of his embittered philosophy into the Firmin character. If any director could bring Lowry's difficult novel to life, it was Huston, whose own record for drunken self-destruction is the source of legend. (Huston was actually the seventh director to tackle the novel, which had originally been optioned in 1957 by actor Zachary Scott.) Artists contributing to the fascinating Under the Volcano include the brilliant Mexican cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa, screenwriter Guy Gallo, composer Alex North, and director Emilio Fernandez, cast in a significant cameo as a bartender. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 52 min.
Directed By: John Huston
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Jun 13, 1984 Wide
On DVD: Oct 23, 2007
Studio: Criterion Collection

Critic Reviews

Variety Staff, Variety
Although this voyage into self-destruction won't be to the taste of many, there will be few unmoved by Finney's towering performance as the tragic Britisher.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
The movie belongs to Finney, but mention must be made of Jacqueline Bisset as his wife and Anthony Andrews as his half-brother.
Janet Maslin, New York Times
Daring as it is to have brought Under the Volcano to the screen in this faithful but incomplete form, Mr. Huston has done so without making compromises in the process.
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
As the tortured consul, Albert Finney has moments of technical brilliance, but Huston's direction gives him no inner life.
Widgett Walls, Needcoffee.com
The film itself is remarkable because Finney is remarkable. He is the volcano of the title.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Succeeds in capturing the novel's sense of doom and gets a tour de force performance from Albert Finney.
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk
should be a powerfully emotional film, and while it frequently is, it is a remote, distanced kind of emotion
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
John Huston's version of Malcolm Lowry's dense, poetic unfilmable book is ambitious but only semi-effective in conveying this cult novel's tone; it's ultimately saved by the towering performance of Albert Finney as the alcoholic self-destructive consul
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
The Criterion DVD edition of Huston's 1984 film contains many features, including interview with star Bisset, docu on the making of film, and best of all, the 1976 Oscar-nominated feature Volcano: An Inquiry into the Life and Death of Malcolm Lowry.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
The result is very much worth the wait, bringing to life the mysticism of Mexico with a superb script by Guy Gallo, exquisite photography, and the unparalleled performance by Finney.
, Time Out
Not for the purists, maybe, but the last half-hour, as Firmin plunges ever deeper into his self-created hell, leaves one shell-shocked.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Captures and conveys the hot music of what some literary critics have called the greatest religious novel of the twentieth century
, Film4
A supremely difficult book becomes an easy film, and struggles hard to find a reason to exist.

Read all 13 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Pierluigi P

"That's the way to contend with the grim reaper, offering him a drink and a dance..." Finney, what a performance.
Danny R

Director John Huston's fascinating character study of a self-destructive alcoholic former British diplomat named Geoffery Firmin, played by Albert Finney in a devastating tour-de-force performance that deservedly earn him an Oscar nomination. The story unfolds in a small Mexican… More
Director John Huston's fascinating character study of a self-destructive alcoholic former British diplomat named Geoffery Firmin, played by Albert Finney in a devastating tour-de-force performance that deservedly earn him an Oscar nomination. The story unfolds in a small Mexican village during the Day of the Dead festivities in the late 1930s, it concerns the last 24-hours of the tortured Firmin's life, who is drinking himself to death. He is so guilt ridden over the past and his lost relationship with his lovely estranged wife, wonderfully played by the beautiful Jacqueline Bisset, who he still yearns for. She has returned in the hopes of healing their broken marriage, but he cannot forgive her for her affair with his half-brother nicely played by Anthony Andrew. This is a Intelligent, but downbeat film that rely's entirely on Finney's amazing portrayal of the late stages of alcoholism, which by itself is staggering, he captures the physical mannerisms and emotionalism of a hopeless drunk, his depiction of this is truly unforgettable. Impressively directed by the late great John Huston, with superlative photography by Gariel Figueroa, based on the famous novel by Malcolm Lowry. Highly Recommended.
MJS M

A later day John Huston film. This follows a diplomat to Mexico during the last day of his life, the action takes place immediately before the start of World War Two. The film is a tough look at this man?s alcoholic lifestyle, it acts more as a slice of life than as a real narrative… More
A later day John Huston film. This follows a diplomat to Mexico during the last day of his life, the action takes place immediately before the start of World War Two. The film is a tough look at this man?s alcoholic lifestyle, it acts more as a slice of life than as a real narrative story. The film has great atmosphere and the idea of setting it on the Mexican Day of the Dead was cool. The film will probably be remembered most for a great performance by Albert Finny.
cody f

It amazes me how an elder John Huston was always able to reinvent himself. In my opinion Huston is the most diverse American filmaker in movie history and he gives great direction to a weak story. Solid performances by the whole cast, but Finney is a stand out. His performance makes… More
It amazes me how an elder John Huston was always able to reinvent himself. In my opinion Huston is the most diverse American filmaker in movie history and he gives great direction to a weak story. Solid performances by the whole cast, but Finney is a stand out. His performance makes the mediocre film better.
Grifty G

Albert Finney does the best drunk since Sterling Hayden, but performance aside, the movie is just ok.